After years of frustration, houses are finally being built in Forestdale.
Last year, residents set-up a mock shack in the area to vent their anger over the lack of housing and the perceived ‘neglect of homes for coloured residents’.
However, Mazcon, who built a fine reputation for erecting quality homes in Sibongile (a project that finished this year), have set up site adjacent to the sports field and civil work – building of roads, water lines etc. – has already started.
Alex Kirstein of Mazcon said 217 homes are to be put in an area around the sportsfield. “Twenty-three local people from the area have been employed as general workers and this will, hopefully, plough money back into the community.”
The houses – construction of which will probably start early in January – will be 40 square meters which is the same size as the ones in Sibongile. However, Mr Kirstein and his team is concerned about an abandoned building next to their site office which is being used as a hang-out for school children who smoke dagga and drink before and after school.
“These kids are openly smoking some of whom are still in their school uniforms. We have also had incidents of theft from our site and there was an attempt to assault one of our workers.” He said he was seeking the co-operation of the police to help protect the site.
Local Councillor, Thoko Makhaba of Ward 6, said she is the legal owner of the abandoned building and expressed concern that parents were unaware of what their children are getting up to.”We cannot have young people falling into crime and bad habits. The police and parents must be made aware of the situation. Parents must take responsibility,” she told the Courier.